Locust Tree: Facts & Info on the Locust Tree Species

Here is some detailed information on the locust tree species.

Gleditsia is a genus of locust trees in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, native to North America and Asia.

Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the Black Locust or false acacia, is a tree in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. A less frequently used common name is False Acacia, which is a literal translation of the specific epithet. It was introduced into Britain in 1636.

With a trunk up to 0.8 m diameter (exceptionally up to 52 m tall and 1.6 m diameter in very old trees), with thick, deeply furrowed blackish bark. The leaves are 10 to 25 cm long, pinnate with 9 to 19 oval leaflets, 2 to 5 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm broad. Each leaf usually has a pair of short thorns at the base, 1 to 2 mm long or absent on adult crown shoots, up to 2 cm long on vigorous young plants. The intensely fragrant (reminiscent of orange blossoms) flowers are white, borne in pendulous racemes 8 to 20 cm long, and are considered edible (dipped in batter; deep-fried). The fruit is a legume 5 to 10 cm long, containing 4 to 10 seeds.

Although similar in general appearance to the honey locust, it lacks that tree's characteristic long branched spines on the trunk, instead having the pairs of short thorns at the base of each leaf; the leaflets are also much broader.

The black locust is native in the United States from Pennsylvania to northern Georgia and westward as far as Arkansas and Oklahoma, but has been widely spread. The tree reaches a height of seventy feet, with a trunk three or four feet in diameter and brittle branches that form an oblong narrow head. It spreads by underground shoots. The leaflets fold together in wet weather and at night; some change of position at night is a habit of the entire leguminous family.

Black locust is a major honey plant in eastern USA, and, having been taken and planted in France, is the source of the renowned acacia monofloral honey from France. Flowering starts after 140 growing degree days. However, its blooming period is short (about 10 days) and it does not consistently produce a honey crop year after year. Weather conditions can have quite an effect on the amount of nectar collected as well; in Ohio state for example, good honey locust flow happens in one out of five years.

In Europe it is often planted alongside streets and in parks, especially in large cities, because it tolerates pollution well. The species is unsuitable for small gardens due to its large size and rapid growth, but the cultivar 'Frisia', a selection with bright yellow-green leaves, is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree.

The wood is extremely hard, resistant to rot and durable, making it prized for furniture, flooring, panelling, fence posts and small watercraft. As a young man, Abraham Lincoln spent much of his time splitting rails and fence posts from black locust logs. Flavonoids in the heartwood allow the wood to last over 100 years in soil. In the Netherlands and some other parts of Europe, black locust is the most rot-resistant local tree, and projects have started to limit the use of tropical wood by promoting this tree and creating plantations. It is one of the heaviest and hardest woods in North America.

Black Locust is highly valued as firewood for wood-burning stoves; it burns slowly, with little visible flame or smoke, and has a higher heat content than any other species that grows widely in the Eastern United States, comparable to the heat content of anthracite". It is most easily ignited by insertion into a hot stove with an established coal bed. For best results it should be seasoned like any other hardwood, however black locust is also popular because of its ability to burn even when wet. In fireplaces it can be less satisfactory because knots and beetle damage make the wood prone to "spitting" coals for distances of up to several feet.[citation needed] If the Black Locust is cut, split, and cured while relatively young (within ten years), thus minimizing beetle damage, "spitting" problems are minimal.

The name locust is said to have been given to Robinia by Jesuit missionaries, who fancied that this was the tree that supported St. John in the wilderness, but it is native only to North America. The locust tree of Spain (Ceratonia siliqua or Carob Tree), which is also native to Syria, is supposed to be the true locust of the New Testament; the fruit of this tree may be found in the shops under the name of St. John's bread.

Locust Tree: Comments, Facts, Trivia, Notes on the Locust Trees

Locust Tree is a very hard wood. Long burning wood fuel for a fireplace.

Sunburst Honey Locust trees are a type of locust tree that is both thornless and podless. A great choice for a landscaping tree for its striking yellow leaves in spring and fall as well as no messy clean up in the fall.

Black Locust Wood

Black Locust wood is a popular choice for fence posts because it is resistant to moisture and rot.

Black Locust and Honey Locust are resistant to deicing salt sprayed from cars and trucks during the winter months and are therefore a popular choice for a street landscaping tree in cold climates.

Honey Locust Tree

The Honey Locust gets its name from the sweet honey-like substance found inside its pods.

Honey locust tree is a popular landscape tree used as a medium to large tree in garden designs. Locust trees can be found lining the streets of many towns and pathways in parks. Part the the locust trees popularity is that the locust leaves turn a colorful yellow in the Autumn. Locust tree has small leaves which are easily blown away in the Fall winds and this results in less clean up maintenance and risk of block sewers drains.

Locust tree is a hardwood that burns slowly with few sparks from burning. Axe splitting locust wood is hard work and best in done after the locust logs have been left to sit in cold freezing outdoor temperatures.

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